Chicken and Orzo with Spinach, Asparagus and Mushrooms

One skillet chicken and orzo, 30 minutes, quick easy and lots of vegetables! Spiced seared chicken, cooked together with tons of spinach, asparagus and mushrooms mixed with lemony orzo. Then topped with green olives, feta and cilantro. It’s hard to beat, and is sure to be a family favorite!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• salt and blak pepper
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup asparagus, trimmed and chopped
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach
• 1 (16 oz) box orzo
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 4 cups chicken stock, unsalted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup green olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil and butter together oven medium heat. In a small bowl combine the spices together and sprinkle evenly over the chicken. Place in the hot skillet and let it sear and cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side. Just until a crust starts to form on the outside. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add in the mushrooms and asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook just until they start to get tender, then add in the spinach. Continue to cook until the spinach is wilted down.

Stir in the orzo, then pour in the lemon juice, chicken stock and heavy cream. Stir until evenly combined. Add the chicken and juices back into the pan and bring to a boil. Place the whole pan into the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cover half way through if it seems to be getting too crispy on top. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the orzo is al dente.

While it’s cooking in the oven, in a small bowl mix together the green olives, feta, cilantro, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Spoon over the top of the chicken and orzo and serve. Enjoy!